Uncoupling mechanism for railway cars



A. J. BAZELEY 7 2,051,361

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY .GARS

Filed June 1, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 18, 1936.

1936. 7 A. J. BAZELEY 2,051,361

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed June 1, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug, 18, 1936. J; BAZELEY I 2,051,361

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed June 1, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Quinn V001:

Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF I CE UNCOUPLING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS .Application June 1, 1931, Serial ,No.'541,150

16 Claims. (Cl. 213-170) This invention relates to uncoupling mechanisms for railwaycars and more-particularly to uncoupling mechanisms of the so-called bottomoperated type. wherein the coupler lock is operated from beneath the coupler :head. In my application Serial No. 529,403,.filed April -11, 1931, I have disclosed uncoupling mechanism of the type aforesaid providing for easy action -.at all points in the uncoupling operation, regardless of the angular and longitudinal displacement of the coupler, andrapplicable to .standardcar structures without interference with the (regular train line connections and other parts; said mechanism being particularly well adapted for application to Pullman cars,-as well as to freight cars used in passenger service, requiring steam line connections in addition to the usual air line connections. My present invention providesa novel and improved uncoupling mechanism which retains the advantages of the mechanisms shown inmy application abovereferred to, and at the same time is of simplified construction, involving a. minimum number of parts, and capable of assembly with-particular facility. Other ieatures of 'the invention will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a View in side elevation partly .in section, showing improved uncoupling mechanism embodying my invention,:said mechanism being shown applied to a Pullman car structure.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of said uncoupling mechanism, :the coupler shank being shown in vertical section; and the right hand -uncoupling rod being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 isa detail sectional view taken on line 4-401 Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation, :partly in :section, showing the 'uncoupl-ingm'echanism viewed from the 'right'handendzof Fig. 2, the parts being shown in their :extreme operated position as a result of the operation of the uncoupling rod shown at the left in Fig. 2, the right hand uncoupling rod remaining in normal position.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the bail for operating the coupler lock.

Fig. '7 is a-detail front elevational 'view of said bail.

Fig. 8 is an end'view of the bail as viewed from the left hand end of .Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the bail as viewed from the right hand-end of Fig. '7

Referring to the drawings which disclose an illustrative embodimentof my invention applied to a Pullman car, there isshownat Ill acoupler of known type arranged for bottom operation. Said coupler is carried by a slidable frame H which is adaptedto be shifted transversely of the car to a limited extent-along ways carried by a frame or carry iron 12 :secured to the end sill I3 of the car. This construction is standard in Pullman cars, and providesfor increased angular movement of the coupler head necessitated by the greater length .of these cars'so that the cars may properly take the :curves encountered in transit. .I'he coupler head, which carries the customary knuckle l4 and locking means therefor, is provided with depending lugs l5 carrying 15 a fixed pivot rod I6, which receives the hooked portion pivot freely about said rod-to the extent required for the .operation of the conventional coupler lock, the lower portion of which .is shown at 19. For transmitting movement .from theli'fter member I8 to the lock H] to accomplish the operation of the latter, a link is connected atone end to an :arm 2| of said :lifter member and at its other end engages an inclined slot 22 in said look, as shown. Conveniently the link 20 may have integral studs projecting laterally from its opposite ends, one of said studs being received in an opening 2| in said arm 21 andthe other being received in slot 22, as will be .seen from Fig. 1.

For actuating the link 25,-and thereby the lifter member 18 and lock :I9, there is provided a bail 26 having a horizontal or crank portion 21 which extends througha slot 28in said link. At opposite ends of said horizontal portionsaidbail comprises vertical arms 29, 30 respectively. Extending from the vertical arm :29 is another horizontal portion 3| of the bail, from the left end of which there projects a vertical arm 32, while from the upper end of said arm 32 there extends toward the'opposite end of the bail a horizontal arm 33. The latter forms a :bearing member or trunnion for the bail and is received in bearing brackets 34 which depend from the .carry iron-or frame l2. The vertical arm 30 has an .upward extension 30' from which there projects a-trunnion .35 which is received in the brackets 340 depending from said-carry iron. It will be noted that by virtue of the vertical arm 29 the horizontal portion 3| of the bail is offset with respect .to portion 21, this offsetting of said portion 3| providing room for the air hose on a passenger car or for a similar hose used-on'a freight car in passenger service.

I! of a lifter member I8 adapted to of the bail. From this construction it will be seen that when the handle 31 is swung outwardly or away from the car, the elbow portion 46 of the lever 36 acts upon the portion 3| of the bail 26, adjacent the vertical arm 32 thereof, and causes said bail to swing outwardly about the axis of its trunnions 33, 35. The link 25 is thereby operated by the crank portion 21 of said bail to swing the lifter member |8 upwardly about the pivot rod l6, and the lock I9 is thereby operated to effect uncoupling. In Fig. 5 the parts are shown in their extreme operated position, their movement being suflicient to cause the lock to throw the knuckle |4 to its open position.

The bail 26 may also be operated from the righthand side of the car, for which purpose there is provided an uncoupling lever 4| similar to the lever 36. Lever 4| is pivotally mounted at one end in' a bracket (not shown) similar to bracket 38, and mounted on'the end sill of the car frame, said lever 4| having at its other end a loop or eye 42 whereby said lever is pivotally supported on a horizontal arm 43 extending from the vertical arm30 of the bail 26. The elbow portion 44 of lever 4| below the eye 42 engages a vertical arm 45 which extends downwardly from the arm 43 of the bail 26. Thus, whenever the lever 4| is swung outwardly or away from the car the ball 26 is swung outwardly about the axis of its trunnions by the engagement of said elbow 44 with arm 45, and the link 25 and associated lock operating parts may thereby be' shifted to the position shown in Fig. 5. p

The bracket 33, and the similar bracket in which lever 4| is pivotally mounted, may be of any suitable or convenient form. As shown in connection with bracket 38, each of the brackets may comprise a pair of vertically extending jaws 438, 38' each having an opening therein above the associated uncoupling lever, through which openings a bolt 46 'may be insert-ed toprevent 'said lever from undue vertical displacement.

It will be noted that the bail 26, including the horizontal portion 21, vertical arm 29, 30, horizontal portions 3|, 43, vertical portions 32, 45, and trunnions 33, 35, is formed as an integral casting providing a unitary structure, and that the parts of my uncoupling mechanism are reduced in number to a minimum. In assembling the parts, the link 25 is first applied to the bail by passing the slot 28 of said link over the trunnion 33,iand thence over the arms 32, 3 I, 29, and bringing said link into its position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 on the crank ,portion 21 of said bail. Said link 25 is then hooked into the opening 23 of the lifter member l8. The loop or eye 39 of uncoupling lever 36 is then slid over the trunnion 33 and the outer end of the lever 36 is dropped between the jaws 38 of the bracket 38 at the left hand side of the end sill l3. The trunnions 33, 35 of bail 26 are inserted through the brackets 34, 340,-the bail being shifted to the right into the position shown in Fig. 2. The

eye 42 of uncoupling lever 4| is then slipped dropped into the bracket at the right hand side of the car sill l3. The bolts 46 are then inserted through the openings in the jaws of the respective brackets for the levers 36 and 4|.

It will be seen that when once assembled, the parts cannot be displaced out of assembled relation. Thus, movement of the bail 26 to the right in Fig.2 is limited by the engagement of the upper portion 36 of arm 30 withthe adjacent bracket 340; and movement of said bail to the left is limited by the engagement of arm 45 with the'loop or eye 42 of lever 4|, which loop or eye in turn engages one of the brackets 346. As will be apparent, the bracket 38 prevents the lever 36 from moving any appreciable extent toward the center of the car, and the same is ,true of the similar bracket which supports the lever 4|. As shown in Fig. 2, the link 25 is proopposite sides of the slot or opening 28, the width of said extensions preventing any tendency of said link to roll over on the bail 26 as the latter is operated.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 6-8, the arms 29 and 3| of the bail 26 are of L-shaped cross section, comprising webs at right angles to each other, whereby increased strength is attained. The web 3| of arm 3|, which forms a continuation of web 29 of arm 29, further provides, as shown in Fig. 3, an extended flat bearing surface for engagement by the elbow portion 40 of the uncoupling lever 36. A web or rib 32' is positioned centrally of the arm'32 at the upper portion thereof for reinforcing said arm opposite the trunnion 33 and is continued downwardly on site side may likewise have a central reinforcing rib 48 which may continue along the underside of the arm 43 as shown, said rib terminating in a shouldered portion 43' of said arm adjacent the bearing portion 43" thereof which receives the eye or loop 42 of uncoupling lever 4|. The vertical arm 45 may, as shown, be provided with a central reinforcing rib 49 extending the length of said arm. As is clear from Figs. 2, 5, 6, and 7,

the rear side of the arm 45presents an extended,

flat bearing surface for engagement with the elbow portion 44 of lever 4|.

My improved uncoupling mechanism not only provides for easy action at all points in the'uncoupling operation, despite angular and longitudinal displacement of the coupler, but further involves a minimum number of parts for accom plishing this result, and is capable of particularly facile assembly and disassembly; It may be noted further in this connection that the parts of my uncoupling mechanism are held in assembled relation without the use of any bolts except the bolts 46 in bracket 38 and the similar bracket on the opposite side of the car.

Features disclosed but not claimed hereinform 'the subject of claimsin my copendin'gapplica tion hereinbefore specified.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible Within the scope of the invention claimed. 7. J

I- claim:

1-. In-uncoupling mechanism for a railwaycar, acoupler head including a lock, a member pivotally supported by the coupler head and connected to said lock for operating the same, a depending link connected to said member, and a bail having a crank portion slidably and pivotally con-- nected to one end of said link for moving said member forwardly and upwardly, rigid means on said car for receiving said bail, said bail including integral horizontally projecting bearingextensions forming trunnions for the pivotal mounting of said bail on said rigid means.

2. In mechanism of the class described, a coupler head including a lock, a member pivotally supported by the coupler head and connected to said lock for operating the same, a link connected to said member, a bail having a crank portion cooperating with said link for operating said member, said bail having integral horizontally projecting bearing extensions forming trunnions for pivotally mounting said bail and also having a horizontal portion spaced from one of said trunnions and intermediate the same and said crank portion, and an uncoupling member having a loop portion surrounding one of said trunnions and having a portion engaging said horizontal portion of said bail for operating the latter.

3. In mechanism of the class described, a coupler head including a look, a member pivotally supported by the coupler head and connected to said lock for operating the same, a link connected to said member, a bail having a crank portion cooperating with said link for operating said member, said bail having trunnion portions, means engaged by said. trunnion portions for pivotally supporting said bail, said trunnion portions being constructed and arranged to enter openings in said supporting means by a lateral sliding movement, said bail also having a horizontal portion spaced from one of said trunnions and offset from said crank portion, and means comprising an uncoupling member pivotally supported on one of 'said trunnion portions of said bail for operating the latter through engagement with said horizontal portion, and means for retaining said trunnions in said brackets.

4. In mechanism of the class described, a coupler head including a lock, a member connected to said lock for operating the same, a bail for operating said member, means comprising trunnion projections integral with said bail and extended in the same direction therefrom for pivotally mounting the bail, supporting means for said trunnions engageable thereby upon a single movement of said bail in the direction in which said trunnions extend, an uncoupling rod for operating said bail, and means comprising said uncoupling rod for retaining said trunnion projections in said supporting means.

5. In mechanism of the class described, a coupler head including a lock, a member connected to said lock for operating the same, a bail for operating said member, said bail having trunnion projections integral therewith brackets receiving said trunnions for pivotally supporting said bail, said trunnions being adapted to be slipped into said brackets without disturbing the same an uncoupling rod having an eye portion mounted on a horizontal projection of said bail, said bail having a vertical extension at the end of said horizontal projection, the eye of said uncoupling rod being positioned between said vertical extension and one of the trunnions receiving brackets for thereby limiting longitudinal displacement of said bail in one direction, and said bail having a projection cooperating with a trunnion receiving bracket for limiting longitudinal displacement of said bail in the opposite direction.

6'. In an uncoupling mechanism for railway car couplers, a bail having trunnion projections extending in the same direction for pivotally mountingthe bail, said bail being provided below one of said trunnion projections with a horizontal extension and with a vertical arm projecting from said extension, brackets receiving said trunnion projections, the latter being adapted to be inserted into said brackets by a lateral sliding movement an uncoupling rod having a pivotal bearing on said horizontal extension and having a portion engageable with said vertical arm for operating the bail, and means for retaining said trunnion projections in said brackets.

7. In mechanism of the class described, a bail having connections for operating a coupler lock, said bail having trunnions for pivotally mounting the same brackets receiving said trunnions, said bail having a projection cooperating with one of said brackets for limiting longitudinal displacement of the bail in one direction, means comprising a portion of an uncoupling rod having a bearing on said bail and cooperating with a trunnion receiving bracket for limiting longitudinal'displaoement of the bail in the opposite direction, said trunnions being adapted to be inserted into said brackets from the same side of each bracket, and means for retaining said trunnions in said brackets.

8. In an uncoupling mechanism for railway car couplers, a bail for operating a coupler lock, said bail comprising as an integral unit trunnion projections for pivotally mounting the bail, vertical arms from which said trunnion projections extend, said trunnion projections extending from the same side of said vertical arms and a horizontal projection extending from one of said arms and having a vertical extension projecting from an end thereof.

9. In an uncoupling mechanism for railway oar couplers, a bail having connections for operating a coupler lock and trunnions extending in the same direction, said bail being pivotally mounted through said trunnions, an uncoupling rod pivotally mounted on said bail and having a portion cooperating with a portion of the bail of L-shaped cross-section for actuating said bail, supporting means receiving said trunnions, the latter being arranged to engage said supporting means by a lateral sliding movement, and means comprising said rod for retaining said trunnions in said supporting means.

10. In an uncoupling mechanism for railway car couplers, a bail having connections for operating a coupler lock, said bail including a pair of vertical arms having integral trunnions projecting horizontally therefrom for pivotally mounting said bail, said vertical arms being provided with reinforcing ribs on the sides thereof opposite said trunnions, an uncoupling lever pivotally mounted on said bail and having an elbow portion cooperating with a portion of said bail, said last mentioned portion of the bail compris ing elements angularly disposed with respect to each other, and brackets engageable by said trunnions, the latter being adapted to engage said brackets by a lateral sliding movement, and means comprising said rod for retaining said trunnions in said brackets.

11. In a device for operating a; railway car coupler, a bail member having trunnions formed integral therewith, brackets secured to the car for receiving said trunnions, said trunnions extending in the same direction for engaging said brackets without disturbing the latter, and. an operating rod adapted to be slipped into engagement with the bail whenithe trunnions are in engagement with the brackets, said bail and rod being constructed and arranged so that when the parts are in place, the rod prevents disengagement of the trunnions from the brackets.

12. In an uncoupling mechanism for railway car couplers adapted to be maintained in assembled relation when the partsare assembled, a bail having trunnion projections extending in the same direction for pivotally mounting the bail, 7

said bail being provided below one of said trunnion projections with a horizontal extension and with a vertical arm projecting from said extension; ap-ertured brackets rigidly carried with the railway car 'for receiving said trunnion projections, said projections being adapted to be inserted into said apertures by a lateral sliding movement, an uncoupling rod having a pivotal bearing on said horizontal extension and having a portion engageable with said vertical arm for operating the bail, and means for retaining said trunnion projections in said brackets.

13. In uncoupling mechanism for railway cars, a coupler head including a look, a member pivotally supported by the coupler head and connected to said lock for operating the same, a link connected to said member, a bail having a crank portion engaging said link for operating said member, said bail having integral horizontally projecting bearing extensions forming trunnions for the pivotal mounting of said bail, brackets rigid with the car structure and receiving said trunnions, said trunnions being adapted to be slipped laterally into said brackets without disturbing the same, an uncoupling member for operating the bail, and means comprising said uncoupling member for retaining said trunnions in'said brackets.

14. In mechanism of the class described, a coupler head including'a look, a member connected to said lock for operating the same, said member terminating in an eye portion, a bail having a portion adapted to be passed through said eye being provided below one of said trunnion projections with a horizontal extension projecting from the same side of the bail as said trunnion for operatively engaging an uncoupling rod and with an arm projecting from said extension and adapted to engage another portion of said rod, and portions at the other end of said bail for respectively receiving and engaging another uncoupling rod. 7 I

16. In an uncoupling mechanism for railway car couplers, adapted to be maintained in assembled relation when the parts are assembled, a bail having connections for operating the lock of a coupler, said bail having trunnions extending in the same direction ,for pivotally mounting the bail, supporting means engaged by said trunnions, the latter being adapted to engage said supporting means upon a single movement of said bail in the direction in which said trunnions extend, means comprising a pivotal bearing on one of said trunnions adapted to be engaged by an uncoupling rod for operating the ball from one side of the car, means comprising another pivotal bearing on another portion of the bail adapted to be engaged by another uncoupling rod for operating said bail from the opposite side of the car, and means for retaining said trun-' 

